Essential Oils for Relaxation and Sleep

I favor oils that are very lush and grassy with floral notes, like Geranium essential oil. While Geranium is pretty subtle, sometimes the extra lush scents are strong and take awhile to get used to. My second favorite essential oil is Clary Sage with its nice floral, green scent.  It has a strong aroma, but you don’t need to use much to benefit from its relaxing properties. It turns out that Clary Sage is a great oil for women to use to ease menstrual pain and irregular periods (but shouldn’t be used during pregnancy).  It can also be used as an astringent in a diluted form.  Be careful though, as Clary Sage is said to have narcotic effects if used too often or in large quantities and should be avoided if drinking alcohol.  Just a drop in a candle diffuser smells good and helps me unwind and relax.

 

 

Another oil that I didn’t like at first but have come to use quite a bit is Roman Chamomile.  Initially, the earthy scent was too strong and the floral notes were not strong enough. An incident  helped me change my opinion on Roman Chamomile, though, and actually made me an aromatherapy convert.

 

One afternoon in the shop, back when I was still pretty new, one of us (not me of course!) spilled a fairly large quantity of Roman Chamomile on the counter. Its strong scent filled the whole shop. Even after we cleaned up, it was very pungent and overwhelming. After awhile, we realized that we were all feeling pretty drowsy and decided it was best if we left for the day and let the shop air out.

 

I went home and slept for a couple of hours, which was very unusual for me as I’m not a napper and never sleep during the day. This incident, more than any other experience so far, convinced me of the power of essential oils and aromatherapy. I now use Roman Chamomile to help me fall asleep when I have insomnia and it works every time. Just one or two drops on a bandanna under my pillow does the trick. It is an amazing oil.

 

Roman Chamomile and Clary Sage essential oils are my favorites for relaxing and for bedtime sleep aides. They are healthy, natural, non-addictive ways to unwind and get a restful night’s sleep.